{"id":738,"date":"2026-06-18T16:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T16:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sanfranciscomovingguide.com\/?p=738"},"modified":"2026-06-18T16:05:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T16:05:00","slug":"calif-city-brings-back-controversial-tactic-to-clean-up-stinky-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanfranciscomovingguide.com\/?p=738","title":{"rendered":"Calif. city brings back controversial tactic to clean up stinky beach"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The city of San Diego is bringing back a controversial technique to rid its award-winning beach of a potent smell of animal waste. But not everyone in the area welcomes the move.<\/p>

Read more Congratulations, the Reflecting Pool is now a swamp<\/a><\/p><\/div>

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The San Diego Parks and Recreation Department filed for a permit to begin spraying \u201cBioactive Odor Counteractant and Cleaner\u201d on 2,180 square feet of the La Jolla Coastal Bluffs above the cove. City spokesperson Benny Cartwright told the\u00a0San Diego Union-Tribune that the solution, a water-based blend of bacteria and surfactant \u201csimilar to those in household soaps,\u201d is diluted and then sprayed to mask the smell of bird guano and sea lion waste caused by \u201chigh ammonia levels and harmful bacteria.\u201d<\/p><\/div>

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Spraying in the area has been intermittent since 2016. Bob Evans, president of La Jolla Parks and Beaches, told SFGATE that complaints from nearby restaurants and residents likely prompted the resumption of mitigation efforts, and he\u2019s grateful they\u2019ll continue.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

\u201cThe stench is increasingly becoming more unbearable as one visits the area,\u201d he said. \u201cOur main concern was for the health and well-being of the marine wildlife, along with the risk of fecal runoff into the Cove and further polluting the marine protected area for beachgoers and recreational users.\u201d<\/p><\/div>

However, environmentalists in the area are concerned about the chemical\u2019s impact on the environment. Lesley Handa, an ornithologist with the San Diego Bird Alliance, told SFGATE that the chemicals could have detrimental effects on the area\u2019s wildlife.<\/p><\/div>

\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re also concerned about the chemicals,\u201d Handa said. \u201cIf the birds are walking in the area and they get the chemicals on their fur or feet during breeding. Because then they\u2019ll go back to the nest, and since the egg shells are porous, all kinds of chemicals can be absorbed through the eggshells and interrupt the development of the eggs.\u201d<\/p><\/div>

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Recreational users are also concerned about the spray\u2019s use. At a June 4 meeting, local swimmer Eric Fletcher told the La Jolla Planning Association that the chemical could have concerning impacts for humans as well as wildlife.<\/p><\/div>

\u201cWhile some feel frustration with the odor [at La Jolla Cove] \u2026 putting a chemical and biological cocktail directly over our marine protected area is a dangerous and short-sighted mistake,\u201d Fletcher said at the meeting, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.<\/p>

Read more Ultra-rare Calif. beach cottages spared from coastal flooding for now<\/a><\/p><\/div>

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